Nike Releases First Kobe Bryant Sneaker Since His Sudden Death
Nike has quietly released a pair of new Kobe Bryant sneakers. WearTesters posted the pair of shoes [...]
Nike has quietly released a pair of new Kobe Bryant sneakers. WearTesters posted the pair of shoes on its Instagram page, and it's the company's first signature shoe since January when Bryant died in a helicopter crash. The Nike Mamba Fury is expected to be listed at around $100, which makes it relatively affordable compared to Bryant sneakers in the past.
"In a time when everyone needs some good news, Laker Nation just received something to cheer them up," Pat Benson of Forbes wrote. "Nike quietly released the first new Kobe sneaker since January. The Mamba Fury is a 'takedown' model, essentially a budget-friendly hoop shoe. It has fewer technical investments than more expensive shoes (including other Kobe's)."
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Bryant had a long relationship with Nike. He signed with the company in 2003 after starting his career with Adidas. That change propelled Bryant's career when it comes to his brand, and by the looks of things, his brand will continue to shine. Benson wrote that the future of Bryant's relationship with Nike is "still unclear," but the demand for Bryant's shoes will still be high. It would not be a surprise to see Nike come out with another pair of shoes in the very near future.
The news of Bryant's shoes come on the heels of him being elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame. When his wife, Vanessa, heard the news, she said: "It's an incredible accomplishment and honor, and we're extremely proud of him. Every accomplishment that he had as an athlete was a steppingstone to be here. Obviously we wish that he was here with us to celebrate. We're incredibly proud of him. And there's some solace in knowing that he was probably going to be a part of the 2020 Hall of Fame class."
On Monday, it was the four-year anniversary of Bryant's final NBA game. And it was a memorable one, as the Los Angeles Lakers legend scored 60 points at the Staples Center. Vanessa paid tribute to Bryant with a highlight video on Instagram. She also expressed her anger for him, and their daughter Gianna being gone.
"My husband worked his a— off for 20 years. Gave it his all. All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time," Vanessa wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. "He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives. He only got to enjoy 3 years and 9 months of retirement.
"We had 2 more daughters, he won an Oscar, he opened Granity studios, he became a 5x best selling author and coached Gianna's basketball team in that time," Vanessa continued. "She worked hard and gave her all 7 days a week just like her daddy. I wish I could back to that morning, every day. I wish they had a normal local game on 1/26. Life truly isn't fair. This is just senseless."